The majority of cows in spring-calving dairy herds have calved at this stage. In many cases, cow illnesses, the majority associated with the early post calving period, are likewise in decline.

However, on some farms, there can still be a few problems with neonatal calf rearing, as calf numbers build up and bugs accumulate. Added to this, the seasonal rise in temperatures (not a problem so far this year) and this is the perfect environment for diseases to thrive.

It’s not uncommon in some herds to be called to attend to a problem in one animal, only to be shown another few, similarly afflicted. The two most likely problems to manifest like this are calf pneumonia and calf scour.

Most of the pneumonia cases are due to obvious-enough causes like overcrowding, poor ventilation, which can result in houses being too stuffy or too cold where there’s too much ventilation.

Antibiotic medication of in-contact calves may be a short-term measure to help alleviate signs, but where possible, and if the pneumonia begins in older calves (greater than two weeks), vaccination may be an alternative option.

Changing the housing is of course also important to achieve best results.

Sometimes, calf scours can be harder to get on top of once an infection becomes established on a farm at this stage of the calving season. Simple alternations in housing conditions will not be as obvious in the treatment of a scour outbreak.

Take a fresh scour sample or samples in order to establish the cause of the scour; most cases will be either crypto or rotavirus or a combination of both.

Change calves to a clean environment where there have been no calves already.

Feeding milk additives containing antibodies to rotavirus and elements that control crypto are useful. Prompt treatment of sick calves with electrolytes is essential.

Michael Sexton is a vet in Riverview vet practive, a 10-vet practice in Bandon, Co Cork, part of XLVets (www.xlvets.ie).